1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed, generally toward antimicrobial coating compositions having excellent adhesion characteristics to a broad range of substrates. In particular, coating compositions described herein are capable of killing a broad range of pathogens, while at the same time providing a flexible barrier capable of elongating and stretching to accommodate fabrication of three-dimensional articles from the substrate to which the coating has been applied.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Protecting surfaces and articles from microbial contamination, particularly surfaces that routinely come into contact with people and food is important in preventing the spread of pathogens that cause serious illness. Pathogen control in places like hospitals, schools, and restaurants is critical to the operation of those establishments. Routine cleaning and disinfecting of articles and surfaces coming into contact with people or food is the primary means of addressing the spread of harmful pathogens. Such methods are highly “active” protection systems requiring significant diligence and labor to be effective. Further, even the most aggressive routine cleaning and disinfecting schedule cannot provide round-the-clock protection, and overly frequent cleaning can interfere with the conduct of normal business operations.
Antimicrobial materials have also been directly incorporated into a number of items during manufacture thereof. Antimicrobial coatings have also been created so that articles can be given antimicrobial characteristics post-manufacture when desired. However, many of these coatings are specific to a particular application, do not offer broad range adhesion to numerous types of surfaces and materials, or are not designed to be a permanent coating. Thus, the utility of these coatings is often fairly limited.
Often, it is also desirable to protect the aesthetic qualities of a surface or article meant for routine contact by people or with food. In order to protect the appearance of such articles, anti-staining or anti-graffiti coatings are used. These coatings prevent soils from permanently bonding with or adhering to the underlying surface, thereby permitting the soils to be washed off of the coated surface.
Heretofore, coatings attempting to combine these antimicrobial and anti-graffiti characteristics are rare, and generally not overly successful at either objective.